“Hope does not deny the present darkness, but it reminds us that dawn is coming" -Martin Luther King, Jr. Hope is an important aspect of everyone’s life, but even more so for those of us stricken with bipolar disorder. Buried under a mountain of covers, blinds drawn to hide the light, perhaps it’s difficult to see the ray of hope through the eyes of depression. Depression robs us of so many things but hope and our connection to the world are paramount. So how do you have hope when the world seems to be falling apart around you? When all you can manage is a trip to the bathroom? When you feel lost and frail with nothing to believe in? How do you feel hope then? Hope is a choice. It empowers you. It gives you a reason to go on—even when you think one doesn’t exist. There’s the hope that comes from inside and then there’s the hope that comes from others. Others can instill the sense of hope in you. They can give you hopeful words and remind you of what is good in your life. But the work of hope needs to come from within. It’s crucial to focus on the positive. I don’t mean for that to sound like a cliché. I mean it literally. Find something positive, anything. For me, it was the hope to lose weight. It was the hope to spend more time with my family. Hope can make all the difference when the road to recovery seems so long. Having bipolar disorder is like a psychological trauma. It produces emotional scars. Hope is the key emotion to rehabilitation from this disease. Find that spec of light and follow it. Where will it lead you? There’s hope in that. Seek help for your affliction. There’s hope in that. Hope is the power of possibility. Believe in yourself. There’s definitely hope in that.